There are lot of mysteries and clues in every masterpiece of Bioware, but Dragon Age world is my favorite place when it comes to channeling my super nerdy geeky needs.

Many are questions about history of Thedas, but I believe none can be solved without figuring out as much as possible about Elven Gods, since their nature, origin and actions are cruicial to understanding almost every event in Dragon age lore.

I realize the chance of me figuring out somethinh correctly is not likely (altough Bioware really is very fair to its most geeky admirers and provides a lot of clues).

In order to understand the chances of figuring out something crucial we can easily look at Flemeth and our chances of figuring out her connection to Mythal during various stages of develepopment. Call me naive but I truly believe Bioware does actually (much like George.R.R.Martin or J.K.Rowling) care about consistency of its canon lore and that Flemeth was for instance intended to be possesed by Mythal from the very beginning.

Very well. Dragon Age Origins. Now even back then every proper loyal geek would see that in that world full of clues, hints and unanswered questions Flemeth is clearly a living breathing enigma that provides perhaps most clues about various aspects of religions, history and magic.

In DAO we see a witch who seems to be ANCIENT. She seems not completely mortal at least in the sense that she does not necesserily need to die from old age. That alone possibly connects her to Elves however human she looks. Discounting Avernus in the DLC, in DAO we see only few ancient connections to past like paragon Caridin and Keeper Zathrian.

Now what i LOVE about Bioware is their dedication to options and details. Perhaps the single most valuable single piece of information in that entire huge freaking game is a single possible line in dialogue you can have only once at the very beginning with Morrigan and only if you play Dalish Warden. In that line the Dalish warden reveals to Morrigan that dalish keepers have the very same shapeshifting magic as Flemeth and her daughters wield.

Discounting the possibility that you can buy a book which unlocks shapeshifter specialization from a Dalish merchant, this little line not easily encountered or noticed provides perhaps greatest clue for a true nerdy fan.

Every proper fan with the right curious (geeky) questions is immediately fascinated by Flemeth, and after your first playthrough you probably know this: 1. mortals (often mages) can become possesed which is usually a mess, but Flemeth proves this does not always need to be the case. 2. The Old Gods are not simply dragons, they indeed seem to contain some sort of spirits themselves 3. Flemeth was probably a human woman who was possesed by some sort of spirit and lived on for ages 4. Flemeth seems to know about mysteries which predate her own human life 5. Flemeth for some reason shows great interest in securing a soul/spirit contained in and Old God dragon

Proper geek is probably also aware that Black City in the Fade does actually exist and thus that andrastian Chant of Light might actually really provide some actual clues instead of just religious unfounded superstitions and that Elves predating humans might have been immortal and that they worshipped some gods who somehow dissapeared.

If you dig deep enough you are also aware of Forgotten Ones, Forbidden Ones, lyrium, veil and blood magic. But all is next to impossible to connect until that one delicious line about dalish keepers having same sort of magic as Flemeth. Because this provides a connection between a human immortal abomination interested in an Olf God and Elves. Simply invaluable.

Because until that point trying to figure out Thedas is sort of like this:

We have a planet. That planet is connected to some Fade with magic and spirits. On that planet is a continent we know as Thedas. On that continent there is a mineral called lyrium which seems to provide magic as well. On that continent was once a huge elven empire. These Elves worshipped some gods and were immortal. Then humans came and their gods diseapeared. Then humans conquered them, enslaved them and spread across the continent. Then they worshipped some really big and perhaps special dragons and made deals with some demons. Then something went wrong, taint appeared, once it infected one of the weird worshipped dragons the First Blight began and ended after the dragon was killed by the Grey Wardens. Then some Andraste and some Quinari appeared and here we are in DAO.

After a lot of digging my read on Thead was this:

Ancient elves really might have been immortal (considering Zathrian). Dwarven empire might have already existed underground during the time of Arlathan, but I have no idea how dwarves or lyrium fit into those ancient times. Elves worshipped some nine ,,gods“ who were probably popular and probably feared some unknown number of Forgotten ones. Then maybe Fenharel banished the eight gods into heaven (is that some part of Fade?) and forgotten ones into Abyss (is that another part of the Fade, the Deep Roads or some sort of intergalactic void?). What happened to Fenharel? What is the Black City? What is the Blight? Is the Maker some sort of forgotten father of elven gods (considering his symbol is Sun, Elgar´nan is the oldest of the Sun etc.)

The biggest confusion and mystery for me back then were the Old Gods. It makes sense that Elven gods are not much studied or quostioned since they seem like a mere history curiosity at that point, but Old Gods are clearly real in DAO and clearly not just some big dragons. It seems like they are dragons possesed by some spirits and that even in their uncorrupted form they somehow attract the darkspawn,

What seemed crucial to me back then was the confusion whether Tevinters learned blood magic from Dumat OR the Forbidden Ones, because i felt this should somehow solve the questions about nature of spirits contained within the dragons – the Old Gods.

Back then my very foggy idea was this:

the Chant of Light might actually be kind of correct in some small ways. Maybe there was once a really powerful spirit (Maker) who was worshipped and who greatly influenced both the mortals and the spirits. Maybe this spirit even possesed some mage like something possesed Flemeth.

Maybe this spirit ruled from the Golden City, which was in the center of Fade. Maybe he spawned, created, taught, inspired or simply somehow influenced some other beings including the nine elven ,,gods“ who under leadership of Elgar´nan overthrew him, which pissed him off and he was imprisoned/stayed in his Golden City, while Elven Gods had fun in Thedas.

Then something happened, the eight gods were imprisoned (perhaps in the Golden City with their father) betrayed like Cronos was betrayed by Zeus after he betrayed Uranus. The Forgotten Ones might been imprisoned in Deep Roads (abyss?).

I also imagined Fen´harel might have usurped the title of the Maker or somehow rightfully restored worship of the Maker. About fate of Fenharel I was quite clueless even when it came tomere speculations.

But back then I was quite convinced that Old Gods were the Forgotten Ones, the Forbidden Ones are some of the Frogotten Ones who have somehow freed themselves and that Flemeth is possesed by one of the Forgotten Ones.

With Mage origin Harrowing, Uldred main quest, Baronness in Awakening it was proven to me that spirits and mortals are more of a different states of being rather then different species and this phenomenon is also what makes shapeshifting possible and that shapesfhiting, fade, spirits and elves are closely connected (elves had in DAO been clearly established as more connected to magic than humans).

Yeah I was pretty proud of myself (or ashamed how childish time-wasting freak i am?) when DAI proved so much of my speculations correct thanks to Solas and Cole and Mythal.

But ultimately back at DAO I was pretty sure about my specualtions that Old Gods are Forgotten Ones and that Flemeth is possesed by a Forgotten one. All this geeky monologue is meant to show how small are the odds of even a dedicated nerd reading extremely (absurdly really) responsible writers and figuring stuff out correctly.

To be honest there was simply now way how to figure out the Mythal bit. Not in DAO anyway. It was probably impossible to even guess that Flemeth could be possessed by ANY of the Creators, except maybe by the Dread Wolf (now there would be possible to even see fake hints because of Brecilian storyline and Morrigan shapeshifting into wolf if you refuse her ritual.)

Still while this whole case proves how unrealiable can our speculations be, it also shows how much we can start to at least suspect if we dig deep enough (after all the most nerdy of us figured out most of the trespasser revelations in advance).

Often you dont even have to wait that long for more clues. Every DLC provides quite a lot of crucial clues about lore.

Regarding Flemeth and Mythal the first hints were at DA2. I missed the part, where the altar at Sundermount is revealed as Mythals, but if you after DAO suspect enough, you could start to think of Mythal simply due to the fact that Flemeth seems to actively care about the Dalish, which not only points at Creators, it even fits the vague references specific to Mythal most.

The druchii of Cynath Arhain see Slaanesh as the consort of Ereth Khial and father of all other cytharai. For them He is a god of pleasure and the most mighty of all elven gods including Asuryan himself. Andurial is seen as the avatar of Slaanesh and thus his position as the Witch Lord of the Viper Realm is unquestionable.

Caras believe that Four Gods of Chaos are simply the four strongest gods in existence and that Slaanesh is of elven origin, while the other three were born from primitive minds of lesser races. Born from seduction of Asuryan by Morai Heg, Slaanesh is also called the Dark Prince and is destined to overthrow His despotic bigoted father and thus set all Elves free from his prudish oppression, but He cannot do so until He first defeats the other three chaos gods.

No druchii of Cynath Arhain can worship any undergod without praising the Dark Father at the same time, for any specific excess dedicated to other cytharai feeds Slaanesh as well. Thus all caras are actually Slaaneshi worshippers, even as almost all of them give themselves primarily to one of lesser cytharai.

While relationships between the Dark Prince and His mother, wife and children are very complex and sometimes almost hostile, there is a strong bond among the cytharai born from their mutual hatred for cadai and three chaos gods. Off all His children the Dark Father favors most his daughter Atharti, the goddess of love, just as he openly despises his demented son Khaine, the god of murder.

Thus it is no surprise that the Temple of Atharti is the most powerful cult among the druchii of Cynath Arhain and that the worship of Khaine is one of the few offences punishable by death. It is also the main reason of eternal hatred between Andurial and Hag Queen Hellebron, who seeks to destroy the all caras for many centuries now.

These druchii also believe that all daemonettes were once elven mortals and that all forest spirits used to be slaaneshi daemons. While such ideas look absurd to many outsiders, caras seem to be sure in their beliefs. It is also noteworthy that most sorcerous aspects of this druchii society are seen as doings of other cytharai like the presence of daemons serving Atharti. In battle these druchii call upon various cytharai, but it is ultimately Slaanesh who is most praised on battlefield. This is because most caras warriors engage in battles willingly mainly in order to feel pleasures, which can only be experienced in war, outside of their wickedly peaceful realm.

It might seem that society composed of such extreme hedonists would dislike battle, yet opposite is the truth. Caras are among the most warlike Elves, cause despite their hatred for Khaine they too are cursed by the drawing of the Widowmaker and thus great bloodlust sings in their veins. Strange and peculiar Witch Lord Andurial strictly forbids any acts of violence among his people, and thus most of these druchii beg to join his armies in order to experience pleasure from causing pain.

To many outsiders Slaanesh thus might seem more like a god of pain and war, for His name is mainly restricted to battlefield just as we Asur also call upon Khaine only in times of war. To me He appears as a god of vengeance here in Cynath Arhain, for all his praising during battle is seen as avenging all hedonists from both past and future, whose desires were not fulfilled because of blind misguided enemies.

As it was foretold by the Queen Mother Morathi, the whole Viper Realm now exists only because of favor of Slaanesh. It is only through His blessing that the Witch Lord and Princess Adigha reign supreme in their realm, should He release the caras from the Velvet Pact, they shall be united no more, the authority of their rulers would no longer be unquestioned and the rebellions will be sure to come. Worse yet, all Viper Coasts and the whole Viper Underworld are infested with hordes of His Daemons just as Viper Woods are filled with herds of Slaangors. Without the Velvet Pact these masses shall fall upon their former elven masters in a heartbeat.

When I first saw how openly Slaanesh is praised in Cynath Arhain, I instantly wondered how these druchii…these caras… can be so blind to their inevitable doom from the hands of their unholy deity. Not only do they consort with daemons and slaangors in insane manner, wear pink and blue velvet dedicated to him all the time and make themselves more and more dependent on His will with every passing century, they also refuse to see their God as anything else than utterly loving and benevolent deity.

When I mentioned my shock to Adigha, she simply laughed and reminded me that caras have lived without experiencing His punishment or betrayal for so long, that such worries would be unfounded. Obviously Adigha and Andurial think…or at least hope…that blind faith of caras shall be enough to reshape nature of this otherwise selfish uncaring god. Yet I suspect she and her father have doubts about favor of their patron. I am also certain that there is one great secret that Adigha is keeping both from me and her people, yet what could that be even I don’t dare to guess…

In the Age of the Dragons there was a Grey Warden called Fiona. This beautiful elven maiden together with warden Duncan and King Maric faced the infamous Architect, whom she recognized as one of the ancient tevinter magisters of old. The raven haired girl in her desperation secretly became a blood mage, a maleficar. After giving away her son Alistair to his father Maric, she realized that by using blood magic she helped the Forgotten Gods of the Void to influence Thedas once more.

But in her dreams she saw all the Creators including the Maker and they told her not to despair, for even blood magic could serve the Good in the end. Thus she contacted her admired friend, First Enchanter Orsino, and lied with him under the gaze of stars in ancient temple filled with lyrium. A baby girl was born as it was foretold by the Creators and Fiona named her child Viviana.

Though little Viviana resembled her parents, she was the most beautiful Elf in Thedas. Not only were her features a work of art, her eyes were blue like sea and her hair as white as snow. Blue tattoos marked her face even before she was born just as her lips, cheeks and eyelids were naturally teal. She was a somniari, a Dreamer, a seer and and wise she was as well.

Human templars took the girl away, though she lived for few years with her mother both in Lothering and later in Denerim Alianege. Fiona was not warned that she would lose her second child as well and in anger she turned to blood magic again and as the Grand Enchanter who much later led the mages into rebellion.

Viviana thanks to her scrying powers predicted her coming to the Circle Tower of Mages in Calenhad. Soon she became the most talented student in the history of the Circle, and Senior Enchanters Wynne and Uldred soon noticed the child progeny. She became a favorite pupil of the First Enchanter Irwing himself and secret love of templar Cullen.

Just after she broke the record of quickest Harrowing in history, she and her maleficar friend Jowan got in trouble with the templars, which she predicted as well. Through foreseen path she escaped the Tower with the Grey Warden Duncan, who made her one of them. Little did he know that just like her mother she would never be corrupted by the Blight and that it would only enhance her powers and immortality.

In Ostagard she met her secret half-brother Alistair, who immediately fell in love with her. They two alone survived the following battle thanks to Flemeth, the Shapeshifter, the Witch of the Wilds. Flemeth thought she was the puppeteer, but Viviana was even greater seer than her and so she predicted every step of both the Archdemon and the Flemeth.

Viviana was the most powerful somniari since Andraste herself. The Creators themselves guided her and this time she already was an awesome spirit healer and commanded powers of ice, earth and thunder. From the witch Morrigan she learned the art of Shapeshifting, one of the many ways lost to the Elvhen. Though Viviana became the only friend of Morrigan, the witch still found herself scared when she watched how powerful Viviana was.

So infamous was she that the whole Ferelden already called her THE WARDEN. Even the quinari Sten bowed before her might and wisdom just as did the famous Leliana of Orlais. Both Leliana and Alistair desperately fell in love with her. It was not only her beauty, which invoked such a desire among most mortals. Viviana had the most beautiful voice in the world and with she could persuade even dragon into calming down. Her enchanted voice could only be outmatched by blood magic, which had negative side effects of its own.

Alistair and Viviana lost their virginity together, although Viviana already knew about their bond of blood. Even later when she told the truth to Alistair in false tears, he would not stop loving her. He was her slave for eternity, whether he realized it not.

She led her companions to her former home and prison, the Tower of Mages, where she recruited her mentor Wynne and slaughtered the blood mages, demons and abominations including Uldred. Even Irwing himself was saved by her. From now on she would be worshipped as goddess by these mages for the following decades.

Wynne became her another unknowing pawn just as the golem Shale and the dwarf Oghren. Eventually she was ambushed by her foreseen mate, Zevran. The assassin just like all Elvhen had a certain magical talent, so she taught him lost nature summonings of long forgotten elven rangers of old. He could melt into shadows and dance in battle like a god thanks to her training. She showed him how to use elvhen voice and thus he bested all known assassins, rangers and bards in history.

So you wish to know my name, mortal? My name is very precious to me for it is the only thing permanent about me. I posed as many things and appeared in many roles during my centuries of life, yet I never allowed myself to forget my own name. Almalexia.

Almalexia, elven goddess of love, fertility and passion

I can still recall my father calling me by name for feast every morn. Not that I can remember his name or his face. All my memories about Aldmeri Cradle are suspiciously chaotic and scarce. Often I wondered if someone played with my memory. Sometimes I suspect I myself cursed my mind to forget. I know Aldmeri was wonderful and beautiful. I know there was both pleasure and pain to be found. I think there were some enemies of mine, but all is clouded in doubt and dust.

Elven Aldmeri Continent

What I remember clearly is how my people escaped from the Cradle of Mer and how we arrived on Summerset Isles. We were both devastated and excited, for the new worlds ahead of us were both dangerous and promising. Me and my sisters wanted to celebrate Sanguine through sensual pleasures and Azura through our love. But others abhorred our Daedra Gods. They called us heretics and abominations. So we escaped again.

Morrowind, the Home of the Dark Elves

We fled to Morrowind with our wise prophet Veloth and settled in that dangerous land. We called ourselves Chimer and laughed at the foolishness of our Altmer oppressors, for we have found beautiful keeps, palaces and ports. How we loved the sinister landscape of Morrowind with its Ashlands, bleak forests of mushrooms and mysterious swamps. Yet we overlooked the most precious treasure to be found in our new home. The Heart of Lorkhan.

The Heart was hidden beneath Red Mountain in the grasp of our fair-weather friends- the Dwemer. With it they abandoned the worship of Daedra Gods and created wonders beyond imagination of your primitive people, mortal. But we were blind to their heresy, power and plans. In happiness we forged our new realm of Morrowind. I fell in love with a male Chimer for the first time then. His name was Nerevar and he was great in all ways I could think of. Though I kept many girls as my lovers, I married him and allowed him to keep both his male and female pets, for his heart was utterly mine and our people have never felt threatened by our natural desires.

For the first time since leaving the Aldmeri Cradle of Mer was I worshipped for my beauty as I deserved. People praised me as their Queen and all Chimer adored me just as they feared my husband. But the age of prosperity was about to end when we learned about plans of our false allies. The Dwemer intended to use the Heart of Lorkhan for conquering Morrowind. Quickly we went to stop them and stop them we did.

Dwemer couple, the Dwarves of Skyrim, Hammerfall and Morrowind

Even I do not know what happened to the Dwemer. I was there and thus I can confirm that all of them disappeared as ghosts in a blink of an eye. Many thought them destroyed, but I suspected treachery. I told Nerevar to preserve their weapons and tools. Do not listen to the stories about poison candles, mortal. Nobody regretted death of Nerevar more than me. Ashlanders are right however when it comes to my treachery regarding the promise I made to Nerevar. It was I who seduced both Sotha Sil and Vivec and convince them to use the power of the Heart for the purpose of ascendency.

We became the Gods. We spat into the face of Azura herself as she tried to deny us our rightful place. We laughed even as she transformed our people into Dunmer, for we retained our golden skin through our godhood. As the Tribunal we ruled over Morrowind even as the foolish Dagoth Ur tried to oppose us. I have personally faced Mehrunes Dagon, the Lord of Destruction ,and defeated him. I was a goddess just as I deserved!

People praised me as their merciful matron. My House Indoril spread my kind words among Dunmer and my wrath among their enemies. I was divine!!! It is the fate of the great to be victim of lesser conspirators. Vivec was jealous of me and allied himself with Dagoth Ur, Sotha Sil, Azura and Nerevarine. Not even I could stand a chance against their combined strikes.

They destroyed the Heart of Lorkhan. My godhood was in peril. I knew I was losing ground. I was losing sanity. It is hard for a Goddess to lose her sight, youth and power. I had a plan, but it was risky and it failed. In the arms of my beloved treacherous Nerevarine I died right after I killed Sotha Sil in revenge.

Sotha Sil, the Dark Elven God of Sorcery

But as you see, my dear mortal, I did not bet on a single card, oh no! For some time my bloodline prospered outside of Morrowind. Among the Altmer, Dunmer and Bosmer in Cyrodiil my blood flew and so I could be reborn one day just as Nerevar was reborn in the form of Nerevarine. Yet all my distant offspring seemed too fragile and common to make a right vessel for me. There was only one exception.

Long ago I accepted a visitor. He called himself the Snow Prince and claimed to be the last son of the father with the same title. He even claimed to be the last of his race, the legendary Snow Elves of Skyrim. In silence I listened to his stories about war between his lost people and the Nords, about their later enslavement in the hands of Dwemer. He was a noble battlemage and reminded me of my long dead Nerevar. I mated with him and in secret I had born him a daughter. Since then her line prospered on Summerset Isles.

Snow Prince, the last of the Falmer Elves of Skyrim

When I died my spirit was reborn in the babe of this bloodline. My own blood in its veins allowed me to possess it just as the blood of the Snow Elves allowed me later to recall the long lost knowledge of Snow Mer of Skyrim. I grew up, scarcely remembering who I was. When I finally remembered I forsake my new false name and named myself Almalexia again. They considered me an Altmer, but I was much more. I was a hybrid of Chimer and Falmer with memories of ancient queen and goddess.

I went here in Skyrim in search for the long lost power of the Snow Elves. The Eye of Magnus is it called and I shall not rest till you tell me, where it is, my dear little mortal. The Heart of Lorkhan is no more, but the Eye shall make me greater than ever. As I walk the frozen lands of dragons I remember more and more. Soon I shall regain my godhood and this time there will be no Tribunal, only me. My ancient rivals among Psijics and Aldmeri Dominion themselves shall unknowingly deliver the Eye into my hands. I shall slaughter the Nords and banish Imperials just as I should have done back then in Morrowind. I shall raise forgotten Snow Elves as my people and regain my rightful place in the order of things!!!